Deflector means



D. H. PRUTTON DEFLECTOR MEANS Nov. 8, 1938.

Filed July 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR DANIEL H. PRUTTON NOV. 8,1938. I D, PRUTTON 2,135,842,

DEFLECTOR MEANS Filed July 12, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVEN'f'OR DANIELH. PRUTTON Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATE OF F IQE 8 Claims.

This invention-relates'to improvements in de flector meansforchanging'the direction of flow fromnair delivery-means.

One of-the objects of the present invention is to vprovide'a noveldeflector .meansfor causing an oscillation ofthe-air currents deliveredfrom a fan means or the like.

Another feature of the present-invention is the novel arrangement of adeflector meansby which a stream of air is directed in varying conoidalforms having a common axis.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of oscillatingair streams from a piece of fan equipment, whereinno moving parts arevisible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an oscillatingstream of air by means of novel deflector meanshaving fewoperating'parts very-simply arranged.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a'casinghaving air delivery means for discharging air at oneend of the casingand a diaphragm-supported in spaced relation to the delivery end .of thecasing, together with means for varying the position of the diaphragm soas to vary the angle of the air stream deflected by it.

Other-novel features of the invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawings and description and the essential features will besummarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is 'a central section through one embodiment ofa fan means combined with my improved deflector means; Fig. 2 is aview-similar to Fig. 1 showing another position of the parts; Fig. 3 isa detail View showing a portion of the driving connection between themotor and thedefiector means; Fig. 4 is a sectional View along the line4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the driving mechanism be-.tween the motor and-the deflector means ;.Fig. 5 is a sectional viewthrough a modified form of apparatus; Fig. 6 is a top plan view ofanother modification; while'Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the line llof Fig. 6.

While my invention .is applicable to various shaped devices equippedwith various air moving means, I have illustrated in Fig. 1 a casing I!)circular in section and supporting by the web H a motor IZ'having ashaft l3 which drives fan [4 soas to propel a stream of air upwardlypast the motor and out the upper end of the casing. The lower end of thecasing isprovided with air inlet openings [5 or the casing might beelevated on legs for the purpose of providing an air inlet.

The:entire device1here shown is adapted to be placed upon ther-floor='or upon a table, but other applications of'myinvention will occur tothose skilled inthis art.

Positioned transversely of the casing at the air delivery end thereof isa diaphragm it which -is preferably flexible and "may be made ofrubvber, leather or the like. This diaphragm is supported centrallyontherod H and is supported at its peripheryiby the cap member 18 so thatthe peripheryiof the diaphragm is in spaced relation tothe delivery-endof the casing l0. To this end the caprmember I8 isi-supported by spacedmembers l8a. Thisprovides an annular opening l9 between the periphery ofthe diaphragm and the delivery endof'the casing 10. If desired thecasing may have thereentrant curve as shown at Illa so thatthe dischargelip 28 has a directing .efiect uponthe. delivered current of air. Thecap memberas shown may be provided with a centrallyraised portion-2i foraccommodating the movement of.rod l1 and may have an insert member 22suitably .secured to the cap member as by spot welding or :the like,this member having a centralopeningZZa for guiding the rod H.Thediaphragm is secured at its periphery tothe cap l8 by any suitablemeans, as for instance by the ring 23 which is preferably secured to thecap so as to permita replacement of the diaphragm if necessary. The capI8 is upwardly convex as shown in Fig. 1, although other forms of cap.may beiused to obtain similar results.

. Means isprovidedfor varying the position of the diaphragm soas tochange the direction of theair current delivered through the opening Hi.In the formshowniin Fig. 1, the central portion of thediaphragm ismovedupward and downward .so as tomove .the diaphragm alternately between thepositions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus .delivering theair in conoidalforms as indicated by the arrows in these figures. In Fig. 1 the airstream isdelivered in substantially conoidal form upwardly-as indicatedby arrows 24,- and in Fig. 2 downwardly as indicated by arrows 25. Inother words, the direction of the deflected air stream is at angles tothe central axis of the easing extending radially outwardly with theangles varying during the operation of the device. In the 'form shown inFigs. '1 and 2, this deflection of the air currents 'is radially outwardfrom the central axis in all directions and the angle of the deflected.air stream to "the central axis varies from an inclination .away fromthe delivery direction ofthe main airstream as in Fig. l to a positionwherethe angles are inclined backwardly toward the delivery direction ofthe air stream as shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the variousconoidal forms of the deflected air stream have a common axis, namely,the central axis of the casing. As shown in Fig. 1, the diaphragm itapproaches a position parallel to the mouth 20 of the casing 59 and inthe position of Fig. 2, it approaches a position parallel to the convexcap member l8, thus giving a well defined direction to the deflected airstream.

While other means might be used to cause the movement of the diaphragmjust described, I prefer to utilize the motor l2 for this purpose. Asindicated in Figs. 1 and 3, a rotating fan of the usual self-oscillatingtype may be adapted for this use. One such type of fan utilizes themotor shaft I3 to drive a worm 26 which in turn drives a worm gear 21 onshaft 28. On this shaft is a. second worm 29 driving a worm gear 30 onshaft 3| which is at to the motor shaft as indicated. In the ordinaryoscillating fan this shaft has an eccentric as indicated at 32 having apin 33 utilized to oscillate the fan. In the present instance I connectpin 33 by a connecting rod 34 with a pin 35 which is rigidly connectedto the lower end Ila of the rod IT. The portion Ila is slidably mountedin a member 36 which is rigidly supported on the motor casing. This isprovided with a slot 36a. for the accommodation of pin 35 during itsoscillation in a vertical plane. Preferably the shaft 3| is extended inboth directions as indicated at 3; and provided with a second eccentric32a with connecting parts as indicated similar to those just describedwith the suifix a so as to provide driving means for the rod I! onopposite sides thereof to prevent any binding of the parts.

In the operation of the device of Fig. 1, the motor is supplied withcurrent from a suitable source not shown. The fan delivers a currentupwardly within the casing l0 and the operative connections between themotor and rod l'l cause a movement of the central portion of thediaphragm between the positions of Figs. 1 and 2 alternately so as tovary the deflected current of air between the positions shown by thearrows.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a diaphragm having a fixed periphery and amovable central portion but it is possible to obtain a similar'efiect byfixing the central portion and moving the periphery. This modificationis shown in Fig. 5 where the parts similar to Figs. 1 and 2 have beensimilarly designated. In this case a cap member l8 supports thediaphragm [6 at the central point 31 as by means of spaced supportingmembers I3a secured to the casing It]. The periphery of the diaphragm issecured to a sleeve member 38 open around a major portion of the topside walls as indicated at 3801.. The connecting rods 34 and 34a areconnected to the sleeve member 38 as indicated. It will be obvious thatoperation of the motor will cause the diaphragm to move between the fullline and broken line positions of Fig. 5, resulting in a variationin thedeflected stream of air as indicated by the full and broken line arrows.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown another modification wherein the casing issubstantially semicircular in section or at least thedischarge end issubstantially semicircular. Here again the parts similar to those inFig. 1 have been given similar reference characters. The difference hereis that the diaphragm 39 is substantially semicircular in form andpreferably closely corresponds to the cross section of the casing. Thecap member 40 may be formed by extending one of the side walls of thecasing upwardly as at 40c and then bending the same over the top of thecasing as indicated. Supporting members may be supplied at 40b ifdesired. The diaphragm is secured to the cap member 40 by the strip 4|extending from point 42 to point 43 about the arcuate side of the casingprovided with the opening 44. The portion of the diaphragm next to thewall 40a is not fastened. Here again the central portion of thediaphragm at 45 is secured to the rod II which in turn is supported forreciprocating movement by the brackets 46 carried by the casing. In thisform of device, upon operation of the motor the diaphragm is oscillatedbetween the full line and broken line positions of Fig. '7, causing thedeflected air currents to take the directions indicated, varying betweenthe two sets of arrows shown and extending in semicircular distributionabout the top of the casing.

ering an air stream at one end of said casing, a

flexible diaphragm in said delivered air stream having a peripheralsupport and a central support, the periphery of said diaphragm beingspaced from the said one end of said casing, and

means for moving one of said supports in the direction of air streamdelivery whereby to vary the deflecting angle of said diaphragm.

2.v In combination, a casing, air moving means within the casing fordelivering a stream of air at one end thereof, a flexible diaphragmhaving its periphery held in spaced relation to the delivery end of saidcasing, and means for moving the central portion of the diaphragmendwise of the casing, whereby'to vary the angle of the airdelivered inthe space between said diaphragm and casing.

3. In combination, a casing, air moving means within the casing, aflexible diaphragm having peripheral and central supports, the peripheryof said diaphragm being held in spaced relation to the delivery end ofsaid casing, and means for moving the periphery of the diaphragm towardand from the end of the casing to vary the angle vof the air streamthere delivered.

4. In combination, a casing substantially semicircular at its deliveryend, air moving means within the casing, a flexible diaphragm having asemicircular periphery supported in spaced relation to the correspondingdelivery end of the casing, and means for moving the central portion ofthe diaphragm endwise of the casing.

5. In combination, a casing, a motor supported within said casing, fanmeans driven by said motor for delivering air at one end of said casing,a diaphragm transversely of said casing end having a central support anda peripheral support maintaining the periphery of said diaphragm spacedfrom the delivery end of said casing, eccentric means driven by saidmotor, and an operative connection between said eccentric means and oneof said supports for moving the said one support endwise of the casingto vary the angle of said diaphragm as it deflects the delivered airstream.

6. in combination, a casing, a motor supported within said casing, fanmeans driven by said motor for delivering air at one end of said casing,a diaphragm transversely of said casing end having a central support anda peripheral support maintaining the periphery of said diaphragm spacedfrom the delivery end of said casing, and means driven by said motorhaving an operative connection with one of said supports for moving thesaid one support endwise of the casing to vary the angle of saiddiaphragm as it deflects the delivered air stream.

'7. In combination, a casing, means for delivering an air stream at oneend of said casing, a flexible diaphragm having its periphery held inspaced relation to at least a portion of said one end of said casing,and means for flexing said diaphragm to vary its effect upon the airstream delivered through said space between said diaphragm and easing.

8. In combination, a hollow casing adapted to rest upon a supportingsurface with the passageway therethrough in vertical position, a motorand a fan driven thereby in said casing adapted to deliver a stream ofair out the upper end of said casing, there being air inlet openings insaid casing, a flexible diaphragm supported across the upper end of saidcasing with at least a portion of the periphery of said diaphragm spacedfrom the end of said casing, and an operative connection between saidmotor and said diaphragm for flexing the latter to vary its efiect uponthe air stream delivered through the space between said diaphragm andcasing.

DANIEL H. PRUTTON.

